Galatians 3:3

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

What an amazing question! Of course I am not being made prefect by the flesh. I am in full agreement with Paul when he says in Romans 7:18; For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. Even though I know this is true I continue to find myself returning to self-reliance and an inclination towards autonomy. Oh, how I long for the days of my childhood in the Lord! I hunger for the days when every breath was an acknowledgment of His sovereign grace, where I saw His hand in every event, every circumstance. What I must remember is that every day I am free to return to that place. That is the place I was created to be and every other place is foreign soil. The Lord would have me climbing up into His lap and putting my head to his breast to hear the beat of His heart. I have to remain wide awake and aware because the natural, unregenerated man still lives inside of me and he is a clever one. He will start me thinking about the work I am doing for the Lord until I become so busy in that work that I have edged the Lord completely out of my day. I began by seeking God’s face in every moment and in the making of every move but because of my busyness the Lord had to be moved out of the way so I could clearly see what I was doing. “Excuse me Lord, could you move aside? I am doing kingdom work here.” I foolishly think that because I am preparing a sermon, or doing missions work, or teaching the children’s ministry, you fill in the blank, I foolishly think I am functioning in the will of God. But what does Jesus say we must do if we are to be His disciples? “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” This is a four step process. First we must have the desire. David said, As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. We must stir up our desire. Second is the death of self. Colossians 3:5; Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth. Third is the bearing of the cross. Man, we must keep the crucified Christ in the forefront of our minds eye at all times. Every single thing about our lives hinges on His sacrificial death. Finally we must follow. We must continually seek to be like Jesus. We must always strive for His likeness manifested in every aspect of our behavior.

“Lord God I give to you my foolish notions that I could ever function without Your loving hand guiding me. Or that I could ever grow without Your firm hand chastising me. For like Paul I know that in my flesh nothing good dwells. The only good thing dwelling in me is You Lord. Please help me to be pleasing in Your sight, amen.”

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Much of the instructive writing in the Bible comes in a formula, either a, “Don’t do this but instead do this.” Or a, “Do this and in addition do this also.” It is important that we pay attention to all the words as well. In this case the word, “flee”, is a crucial element of the instructive nature of this verse. The dictionary defines flee as to run away from as from danger or pursuers, to take flight. To evade, escape, avoid or elude. The truth is that we are never one hundred percent free of the vulnerability of temptation. The Bible doesn’t teach us to reason with our temptations, oh, we should always pray but we should pray while we are running as fast as we can in the opposite direction. Look at Psalm 1. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. There is a progression in evidence here. First this poor knucklehead, (you or me), is walking along with bad ideas, (the counsel of the ungodly), that counsel can come from anywhere, our own stinkin’ thinkin’, or the advice of company we shouldn’t be keeping. Either way its origin is in the devil. This guy does not flee, does not run, he walks along shootin’ the breeze with the devil. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners. Now he has gone from walking to standing, maybe outside the bar on the corner just cutting it up with the fellas. Man he ought to be running as quickly as he can out of there but he’s just standing in the middle of a bunch of death and he doesn’t even know it. Proverbs 14:12 says, There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Whenever things, “seem”, any particular way we better get on our knees and open our Bibles cause trouble is brewing. The next thing we see is this, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Now our friend has gone from walking with sin to standing around yukkking it up with sin until finally sin has gotten him to step into that bar and sit down and have a drink. Walking, standing, sitting, that is the progression. No, we need to flee! After we have fled we need to pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. We have now gone from the company of the ungodly, the sinner and the scornful to the company of those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Ahhh, that is so good…

“Lord today I will flee youthful lusts, I am going to seek out the company of saints who love you and I will pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, amen.”

Colossians 3:1-3

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

We were dying, and if you don’t know the Christ then you are still dying. We were dying an emotional, moral and spiritual death. Even our physical bodies were slowly headed towards the grave. I don’t know that most people fully get the extent of the decomposition that is taking place in the unregenerated human heart. It is easy to see the moral and spiritual decomposition of the world, you just look around. Things that would never have been accepted twenty years ago today are commonplace. Many call this a progress towards a more tolerant and therefore wiser world. To those of us who are being saved it is the decomposition of the dead. But individually if we don’t have Christ we are dying with the world. We are keeping pace with it. Then comes the Holy Spirit like a wind over our awareness and we cry out to God. We want to die. Like Isaac we climb willingly on to the altar and bare our chest to the blade of the Lord. Unlike Isaac He does kill us. He thrusts that blade, Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. He thrusts that blade into our waiting heart and we grasp the hilt of that sword and we aid in the killing of our mortal bodies. At that moment of death an event takes place that is so sublime, so miraculous that it defies description. It is not enough to say we are changed, but we are changed. Suddenly the things in life that held us in bondage for so long are reduced to a mere fluttering of hummingbird wings, just a whisper, Completely drowned out by the thunder of torrents of living water that rush through our entire being. But at this point it becomes our responsibility to hold fast, set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. We must set our minds, anchor in, for the tide of evil would still sweep us away. We must be steadfast, established, Psalm 112:7-8 says, He will not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 his heart is established, he will not be afraid. We have died to this world and we must stay dead if we are to live in Christ, For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

“Wonderful Maker, I bare my chest again to You today and beg of You to thrust in that blade that kills but with the dying brings new and eternal life. I want You and I want You with all of my heart. I will not cease to look up, I will set my mind on heavenly things and I will give praise with thanksgiving with every newborn breath I take. Thank you Jesus for killing me to the world and making me alive to You, amen.”

Colossians 2:6-7

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

The preacher is preaching his heart out and the Spirit of God is speaking to us. We feel like the message was meant just for us, as if someone had been talking to the pastor telling him stuff about our lives. The Bible verses he is reading, the illustrations he is using they just ring so loudly of the truth. Suddenly the fact that we are in church and that we are hearing this amazing news, suddenly it is no accident, no, it is part of a grand plan. It is a grand plan that we are right in the middle of. We realize that it is a plan that we were created to be a part of. We hear the preacher talk of separateness, holiness, righteousness, and we so desperately want those things. Right then and there God replaces our desires with His desires. The altar call is given and we rush forward, falling at the altar, “Forgive me God! Come into my life and be my Lord!” “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord.” That is how many of us received the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we left the church service filled with the Spirit of God but within a few days we find the memory of the experience fading as things of the world present themselves. Things that in that service we clearly knew are to be out of our lives forever but now the memory is muddy and we can’t remember exactly why it was so important. Maybe we even just say, “Well it was just an emotional experience and I’m over reacting.” Heaven forbid new child in the grace of God! This is why the scripture says that we must, as we received Christ, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith. We must sink our roots deep in to the principles of God’s kingdom. Psalm 1:1-3 says it well; Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. We need to forsake the things that in and of themselves, by the worlds sliding scale of right and wrong may seem minor but to God are not fitting for His children. Planted, rooted, deep in the will of God and in this lies our prosperity and our peace. Lastly and very importantly is this, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Abounding means almost unable to contain the greatness of it all. We are thankful in a way that is almost impossible to contain. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” We become gushers, yeah that’s right… Hard to be cool guy when you’re just gushing with God. Good thing cool is so last year.

“Lord today I will not forget the amazing transformation You have worked in my life. With all the same passion with which I received You I will walk in You. I am fired up for You God! I am sinking in deep, deep roots and cannot be moved. Oh and Lord, I am so, so thankful, so, so thankful, amen.”

Phil 3:12-14

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

These words were written by a man who evangelized nations, planted churches in hostile lands and wrote two thirds of the New Testament. If that man had not already attained or been already perfected then where does that leave us I wonder? If that man felt compelled to press on, desired deeply to lay hold of Jesus then what are we doing counting our Christianity as a common thing? How can we rise up in the morning and not enter into His courts first with praise and thanksgiving. We make our way to the coffee pot, slam a pop tart and out the door we go. Christian, no more! Enter into the joy of the Lord first in the morning, tell Him of Your love for Him and all He has done, all He is going to do, for He has great things for us. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says; “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Consider the longsuffering and forgiving nature of our God. Paul says, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind. What was behind Paul? I’ll tell you. Spiritual pride, contempt, unbelief, arrogance, anger and a murderous heart. He sought the eradication of the people of the Lord and joyfully watched and approved of the murder of the apostle Steven. Paul says, “I forget those things, they are behind.” Paul had complete confidence in the work of the cross. Why do we hold on to the confessed and repented of sin of yesterday. Is that not a form of unbelief? Are we not saying when we hold on to our old sin, “I do not believe in the sufficiency of Jesus to wash away my sin?” Aren’t we then counting His suffering as worthless and for nothing? Who are we to hold on and agonize over something that the Lord Himself says, “I will remember no more.” Psalm 103:11-12 says; For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. The scripture says, Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Unless we forget those things that are behind they will always serve as an anchor preventing us from sailing into the sea of promise that God wants us to navigate. We are not free to move ahead while held captive by the past. That is why we must, press, toward the goal. We must set our sights clearly on the future and relentlessly move in that direction. What is that direction? It is upward. It was an upward journey from the courts of Pilate to the hill called Golgotha. Let us not forget the love that constrained the Lord to make that walk and let us heed His upward call.

“Dear Lord, I will not live in the past. You died so that I wouldn’t be held in chains to the sin that has already been forgiven. Today when I rise I will enter your courts with praise and thanksgiving and press toward the future You have laid out for me. Today I will claim the victory that You have already given me, amen.”

Philippians 1:9-11

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

What does this word, “abound”, mean? It is a beautiful word really and it means to occur or exist in great quantities or numbers, to be rich or well supplied to be filled or to teem, as in the stream was teeming with trout. Paul says his prayer is that our love would abound, and his prayer is in exact alignment with the desires of God. Not just that our love would simply abound but that it would abound more and more. Really what he is praying is that our love would increase exponentially as we walk in God’s grace. But he is praying our love would have this tremendous ability to increase, or abound in a particular way. That our love would abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment. He is saying, “Dear God give them huge explosive love and the knowledge to use it correctly” How many of us can say that in the natural, just ourselves, apart from the influence of God’s Spirit, can say that we know how to love? Yeah, right? C’mon we don’t know spit about love. I can tell you this, I can tell you that if we read Paul’s prayer as just a relic, a prayer he prayed just for the first century church in Philippi then we will be missing a huge blessing and actually be missing God’s intent for recording the scriptures. We must look at Paul’s prayer in the context of Hebrews 4:12 which says, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. You see Paul’s prayer here is just as capable of bringing this change to pass in our lives as if he was laying hands over us right here today. This is God’s will for us. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. What if I could know how to perfectly love my wife, my children? What if I could approve the things that are excellent, in other words see all of their wonderful qualities and none of their faults, see them the way Jesus sees them. What if they could know that my love for them is sincere and filled with righteous fruits that I just want to pour into their lives? What would my house look like then? This is God’s will for us. So why do we so often, as Christians, settle for a mediocrity dictated by the world’s concept of love that was written by the devil who knows no love only lies and hatred? Why is it that as Christians we settle for so much less than God’s absolute best. Have we been dumbed down by exposure to a world of lies? Yes, I think so. Christian, it need not be so! Grab Paul’s prayer! Grab all of the scriptures; they are the breath of God into your life. Believe them, hold them, claim their promises and say to the dying world, “I will not die with you! My God has promised me life and that more abundantly!”

“Dear Lord, oh I am going to wake up into the reality of Your word. I will not see scripture as just words written on a page but rather as your absolute intention for my life, amen.”

Ephesians 4:22-24

Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Way back in the day when it was not uncommon for me to get on my bike and just ride from run to run, whiskey bottle to whiskey bottle, running hard for a week at a time fueled by youth, testosterone, and meth I’d change my t-shirt every time I was in a bar that had their own t-shirts. I’d just toss the stinky one away and put on the one that said, “Sid’s Place,” or whatever. I might grab a shower somewhere or hose off in an alley but my Levi’s would be with me for the entire debauched adventure. When it would be over and I’d finally land somewhere needing to eat and sleep, (I’d land often at my grandma’s house, she’d always take me in). There I would be in this morally clean environment maybe sitting on the couch and I’d smell those jeans. I never noticed it when I was out there because everything stunk but in the normal environment of my grandma’s house those jeans reeked very badly. Campfire, whiskey, beer, chili dog, sweat, and who knows what else. It is exactly the same with the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts. Man, he stinks and stinks bad and we don’t even notice until we get in the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit. I’d always go down to the Grant Boys in Costa Mesa and put on a brand new pair of 501’s and I’d leave those stinky jeans in the trash can outside the door. It felt fresh and good to have on those crisp, clean Levi’s It feels good to put on the new man, fresh and clean, washed in the blood of our precious Jesus. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. It is always all about the mind, about decisions. The Holy Spirit wants to conform us into the image of God’s Son but we have to co-labor in the process. It does us no good to buy that fresh new pair of jeans and then just keep wearing the old ones. They need to be thrown away. That is a decision. Look, it’s like this. When you get up in the morning two guys are getting up with you, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, (notice it says grows, that wickedness is like rust, it never sleeps). The new man is getting up with you too and he was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. You are all going to sit down at the breakfast table. You need to yank that big bowl of oats from in front of that old man and give it to that new man because, and here it is folks, the one you feed is going to be the one with the strength to win and rule the day. The first event of the day needs to be the starving of the old man and the feeding of the new man. This is our responsibility. Psalm 63:1, Oh God, You are my God, early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You.

Christian do not put off, do not delay in the bringing of every morning to the altar of praise. It is there the battle is won, not in the latter parts of the day when the old man has had opportunity to exercise his corrupt influence on our thinking.

“Dear Lord, I will rise a little earlier to bring my life before Your throne. I will pursue You with all that I have and my first thoughts and actions of every day will be of You and for You, amen.”

Galatians 5:22-24

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

There may be those who have been able to crucify their flesh one time and then walk out the rest of their lives in a state of holiness. That is certainly not my story. I have to crucify my flesh with its passions and desires sometimes multiple times throughout the day. When I was desperately strung out on drugs I remember thinking, “If I could just get clean I’d be a good guy.” Well, I got clean and the old adage proved itself true. You know the one, “You sober up a horse thief and all you’ve got is a sober horse thief.” So yeah, I got clean but I soon discovered that I was morally and emotionally bankrupt. I had lived in the dirt for so long that I needed a serious top to bottom cleaning. Is it in my nature to operate in these, “fruits?” “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.” No those characteristics are diametrically opposed to everything I operated in before Christ. My default characteristics are fear, resentment, contempt, pride, suspicion, deceit, treachery, and retribution. But I was not created to be that way and neither were you. We were created to live in obedience to God and out of that obedience springs fellowship, and out of that fellowship springs fullness of joy. How does this come about? 1 John 1:7 tells us, But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

I said that I had lived in the dirt for so long that I needed to be cleaned from top to bottom. I do that by walking in the light. It was a clear and sunny day yesterday but there was a wind chill in the air. I was standing on the street waiting for someone and I was in the shade. I got really cold so I stepped across the street in to the sun and immediately I was warmed. We choose where we stand and we choose whether we stand in the dark or in the light. A huge part of crucifying our flesh is simply making a conscious decision as to where we are going to stand. I was cold so I chose to cross the street. I was in sin so I chose to cross the street and be in the Sonlight. I repent of my sin and throw myself on the altar of God’s sweet forgivenss. Holy living is a lot like muscles. You’re not going to get them if you don’t work for them. You can belong to the gym but that isn’t going to make you strong. You have to actually go there and do something. It is not enough say you are a Christian you have to actually go to the cross and climb up on it. You have to live in what that cross means. The fruits of the Spirit are a byproduct of walking on the right side of the street. Come out of the cold and walk in the warmth of Sonlight.

“Dear Lord, I don’t want to just be a sober horse thief. I want to live a life that is abounding in the fruits of the Spirit. I want to crucify my flesh and its passions and desires. You God are my passion, You are my desire. I am crossing the street and leaving behind the cold and dark and I am crossing over into the warmth and security of Your love. I am going to live for You God, amen.”

Jeremiah 32:38-39

They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.

Who are the, “they”, that God is speaking of here? Well He is talking about Israel His chosen people who He miraculously delivered out of bondage and oppression in Egypt. Those same people who once delivered murmured and complained and committed spiritual adultery for forty years wandering around the wilderness. I am just like Israel, are you? Quite probably. But for our purposes the, “they”, that God speaks of here is our, “tribe.” Immediately that is our family. What a wonderful thing for God to look down on our homes and say, “Truly I am their God and they are my people.” What a blessed and beautiful home we would have. How amazing to be able to look to the heavens with our arms around our spouses and our children and say, Truly He is our God and we are His people, and because of that we have one heart and one way.” Missing are the divisions and symptoms of separateness that existed when we were each of us autonomous seeking really our own ends. Now we are seeking God’s light and counsel, His blessing and provision. The scripture says that good will flow into us and our children. But going out a little further to the, “tribe”, outside our home. I have a friend, my best friend really. He does not yet know the Lord and this is further complicated by the fact that he will more than likely be spending the rest of his life in prison. I desperately want him to be with me in my condition, the condition of, They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever.

I so deeply want him to be part of the family of God. I so want us to share a heart that belongs to God. We were of one heart for many years but it was a heart intent on wickedness, crime and drug addiction. James says, The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. So I pray. I am confident that God will answer my prayer, that one day that letter is going to come that is filled with praise for God’s grace. What about you? Who is in your tribe? Is it people you are in business with? Are you in a motorcycle club, a brotherhood to which you have pledged your allegiance? The greatest act of faithfulness you can perform to honor that oath is to pray, long, deep, hard and continually for the joining of their hearts to God’s heart so that you will share one heart and one way. Paul describes the people we need to be to bring about this change. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. That is the reputation that enables us to cause people to want our God for their God and to be His people. But notice it says we must be faithful. Faithful to walk straight and true, faithful to speak sound doctrine with empathy, and faithful to pray.

“Lord God I so want all of those I love to say with me, “He is our God and we are His people.” I so want us all to share a heart beating with praise for you. Make me the instrument that you use to bring this to pass. I know that you desire all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. I am giving myself to the fulfillment of my ministry, which is to know You and to make You known, amen.”

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

We spend so much time in the wilderness of our own minds. I say wilderness because even though it is a crowded and cluttered place it is so often not the place the Lord would have us to dwell. The Israelites were promised a land of milk and honey as an inheritance and all that was required of them was that they first, “delight themselves in the Lord.” That should have been easy in the face of the miracles He had performed on their behalf bringing them out of Egypt. But in this promised land they saw giants and even though the fruit was abundant they were afraid. They did not, “delight themselves in the Lord.” Their minds were crowded and cluttered places, filled with fear and mistrust. The giants in the land looked mightier than God. What a terrible place to be where the obstacles and adversities of our lives look more powerful than the God who delivered us out of the bondage of our own personal Egypt. Did He deliver you from alcohol or drugs? Did He deliver you from a revolving door on a prison cell? Why then do you not trust Him with all of your cares and concerns? Isaiah 59:1 says, Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear. Why not instead of telling our God how big our problems are, try telling our problems how big our God is. Confidence in the Lord and obedience to the Lord are a big part of delighting ourselves in the Lord. Can we not agree with Paul when he says in Philippians 4:19, And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. At one time I thought this verse,

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart,” meant that if I took pleasure in the truth of my salvation that God would give what I wanted and to a degree this is true. Yet it is not so much that He gives us what we want but rather He gives us our wants. As we, “delight ourselves in Him”, by our trust, our worship and foremost our obedience, (after all a disobedient child cannot delight in the love of his father because there is always the fear of discovery of the transgression and the fear of punishment when it is discovered). No, obedience is integral and essential to delight. I find that if I delight myself in Him I begin to want the things that He wants. This is a miraculous and supernatural thing. Romans 8:29 says, For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. That is what it means for Him to give us the desires of our hearts, it means we are being conformed to the image of His Son. Christian, do you see how wonderful and amazing this truth is? Can you fathom the supernatural magnificence of us as sinners being conformed to the image of the one and only son of God?

“Lord, today I will delight in You in my love, my worship, my praise and in my obedience. I want nothing more than for You to implant what you desire into my heart and make it my desire also. I want to love the things You love, hate the things that You hate. I want to see through Your eyes, but mostly I want to be pleasing in Your sight, amen.”